A Memory Mess
by NonameJane
Summary: Oneshot. She stole a peek into his quarters, everything was neat and precise. She was cautious but, she should have been more careful...Shinobi Love Dec. Challenge


A Memory Mess

By: NonameJane

Disclaimer- I do not claim RK

Summary- Oneshot. She stole a peek into his quarters, everything was neat and precise. She was cautious but, she should have been more careful...Shinobi Love Dec. Challenge

AN- I've been absent for a while, thought I'd do something! I think it follows the guidelines..?

It was early afternoon, when Misao got the chance to exit the warm kitchen. Customers flocked in one after another, in a never-ending stream of blurred faces and muffled conversation. Voices were raised, and orders were taken hurriedly by Omasu and Okon. She was confined to cooking and kitchen duty with the men.

She sulked in the hallway, out of eyesight.

She wouldn't have minded; seeing as how the waves of torridity radiating from the constant heating of the stove kept her warm to the point of damp sweat. It was something to be grateful for, as it was nearing winter and the frigid air was almost unbearable.

However. The influx of patrons, limited her from participation in her daily activities and routines. She did not sleep in this morning, she did not take a long relaxing bath like she preferred, she wouldn't even get to drop off Aoshi-sama's tea...She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, roughly; a tarnished day this will be.

She sighed, day ruined. A voice caught her off guard.

" Misao-chaaaaaan!" Okina rang from behind her.

Misao didn't turn to face him, somehow her constant labor was his fault. She didn't know how, but she aimed to figure it out. He was always connected as a source of annoyance.

She jumped the slightest as she felt a hand reach around to grab a hold of her shoulder. It spun her around, and she faced the old man with a pout.

He called out again, " Oh, Misao-chan!"

Her eyes slammed shut, the tension oozing out in irritable waves from her small body. "WHAT!"

Okina lowered himself to be on eye level with her, facing her with concern. "What on Earth has upset you, my dear?"

Still, she didn't look up. Whatever the Old Man had planned for her, no amount of protest or moodiness was going to stop it. Best to wait it out.

" Well, since you won't tell me, I know what will cheer My Pretty up!" He gleamed excitedly; his hands lifting from their grip on her, and waving eagerly in the air.

She met his eyes with disdain, " What would that be?" She stood back, into the darkest corner of the main hall. He followed.

A large, child-like grin spread across his features, " Sweeping!"

"WHAT!" Her long braid shot out angrily. Her hands gripped the front of his robe, as if trying to squeeze the life out of the fabric. Her face was clear of the dimness of the corner, and was now lit with the most stupendous sight of ire.

He continued looking smug, " Yes, Yes, Yes! Off you go love!" He pushed her out into the direction of the stairs.

" Put on something warm. The snow is covering the pathway to the Aoiya; we can't have that now can we?"

Misao held herself steady against the wall as best she could, " Sure we can." She replied; the tone bitter like old salt.

"Don't you want to see your Aoshi-sama?" Okina pleaded dramatically, holding his heart as he did so.

Her grip lessened, a prospect that could always change her mind.

" Don't you want to make your Jiya happy?"

The stormy, Prussian oceans of her orbs narrowed, " So if I...help," she started, " I will be free then?"

The old man winked at her, and Misao took it as a yes.

Immediately, she ran up the stairs to her room.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

The old man was a liar.

She finished clearing off the stone, snow covered path as quickly as possible, ignoring the numbness spreading through her gloved hands. Her coat did little to protect her small form from the wrath of Mother Nature, but she took it in stride.

Because she would see her Aoshi-sama, because she could rest. Two things she eagerly awaited and enjoyed. No amount of wind, cold, or snowflakes could hinder that.

Again, the old man strung a web of deceit. The wink her gave her had suggested more work; she saw that now. He lured her in with a bewitching suggestion, and she followed it until she had been caught and devoured by his true intentions. However, it didn't mean she would return to her slaved state in the kitchen without shouting at the man. Preferably, in front of all the customers.

Upstairs, she removed her coat and her gloves, shaking each as she did so as if the exposure to the cold would scatter from them. She was left with a dark purple winter yukata on.

Sometimes, she debated strangling her Jiya.

The young ninja closed the shoji angrily, and made to go back to the lower floor ready for a verbal battle. However, something caught her eye, causing her fury to deflate rapidly.

A door. An open door. Aoshi-sama's door.

The curious warmth in her spouted from her tummy all the way to her throat. She could almost taste the enrapture.

She approached sluggishly, even though she couldn't sense his presence nearby. Misao couldn't be sure; he had a way of sneaking up on people. Best to approach slowly, even though he would know she were out there if he was confined inside those walls. Still, she found it worth the effort.

Misao peeked around the corner of the doorway, her eyes searching for his form. She then looked around the hall and listened for some indication of anyone else; Aoshi-sama or not. She saw nothing. She saw her chance.

The ninja girl hadn't been in his room since she were a young child, which made her all the more curious. Her foot absently took a step in, as she was engrossed with the mere prospect of seeing his quarters.

She took another step, holding her breath as she passed through the threshold of the door. Her fingers shook and her knees wobbled. If he found her...what would he do? The thrill made it both worth and not the risk.

She looked the space over: it was perfect.

Everything, neat and in a fixed, decided order. It hadn't changed much from what she could recall, but the effect it had on her didn't either. The walls were bare, and honestly bland, but what was on the floor caught her interest. She all but hopped to his small dresser, admiring the tone of the dark wood. She ran her hands along the surface, it was smooth and lacked any trace of dust. His bookcase caught her attention next.

So many texts he owned, Misao did not doubt that he had read every single one of them at least twice. Some of the bindings contained foreign script, something she always had interest in. Maybe, he could teach her to read these, one day?

She smiled and turned to her right, to where his futon was neatly folded up. Momentarily, she just gazed awed at his bed. Admittedly, she was held a smidgen of jealousy toward the futon. Aoshi freely gave himself to it unbidden; even if only in sleep. Ridiculous, she knew.

Misao took a set on the folded bed, feeling the comfort of the mattress. She crossed her legs Indian style on the surface, rocking back and forth a little; just feeling and taking it all in. Inside, she grinned wryly; she had left her mark.

Her legs uncrossed themselves, and moved languidly to lift herself.

However, a sharp impact with prevented it.

She had wanted to explore his room, not acquaint herself with his floor.

Her toes had caught themselves in a folded hollow of the futon, and completely destroyed the prefect work of art it had once been. Misao bolted to her feet, appalled at what she had done.

The worse, however, was yet to come.

She moved and lifted the mattress, and a heavy object dropped to the floor; she ignored the inquiring shout from the floor below. It was Aoshi's set of kodachi complete in their sheath. He hid his weapons in his covers...?

She went to lift the weapons, but she fell back again, knocking over a small in table near the bed. She sputtered out a curse still clutching the kodachi in her hands.

With every ounce of strength contained in her humble body, she pushed herself back up and fell back toward the left, knocking out most of the books from his bookcase. But, what didn't fall out caught her eye.

Hidden behind the books were keepsakes from both his and her youth. It held a drawing she did as a child of Hyotokko; which mainly was a plump sphere with a rectangular head. There, also, was a letter she had written to him, when she thought he was sad. One evening after a mission, she saw his clouded eyes and the frown upon his tense face. She was not aware then, but one of his foot soldiers had been slain that day.

The parchment told him, _demanded_ him to be happy or little Misao-chan would tickle him until he smiled and couldn't stopped laughing. When he read it, a phantom of a smirk crossed his lips. It was a cloudy one, but it was still there.

But, it wasn't enough.

She only wished it would've worked completely...She hung her head, dropping his blades back to the floor. Is it possible to cheer him up, at all? The naive child has grown up, so could the woman she is now be just as naive?

Shaking away these thoughts, she took in her surroundings.

Ehh...where to start? Ooh boy...Look what she has done.

Her insides nearly jumped through her skin when she felt a warm hand on the upper peak of her back. She dreaded to look into their face, she knew who it was.

" Ah...hehe..." Misao squeaked, incoherently. Looks like she's been caught...

The hand turned her whole body around. "Misao."

It let go, and she crossed her arms nervously, How to approach this? When will the impending scolding slip from his lips?

" What are you doing in here?" He asked tonelessly, " What happened here?"

The nervous twitches felt like an anchor weighing her to that spot. " Well, I wanted to see you...to find out if you went to the temple. You know, because of the weather and all." Misao said as firmly as she could manage without fully revealing herself. " Did you go?"

" No." He still didn't seem angry, but the look he gave her told her to elaborate.

" When I finished my chores, I went to my room to take off my coat...and I saw your door open..."

"Where did you go?" Misao countered, trying to direct the scrutiny away from her.

Aoshi remained unstirred, " I stayed here today, and went to retrieve something to eat before you arrived."

She sighed and decided to narrate the remainder of the mishap, " I saw your door open and I decided to wait for you here, since I figured you wouldn't go meditate because of the snow. One of your books caught my eye, and I, ugh, couldn't help myself."

He glanced over the room, noting she hadn't explained at all how the mess had occurred. It looked like a storm had blown in. He hadn't been gone very long...How could she? In such a short amount of time...?

" Umm...yeah, I tripped and everything sort of went wrong from there. I'm sorry."

She moved to start stacking his books up, and he followed, helping her. She grabbed a few to place in the bookcase, when he gently took them from her. Perhaps, he had them in a certain, decisive order, she wouldn't question it.

" Wow, you've kept them for so long..." She motioned to the gifts lifting them off the shelf and positioning them on the very top of the case.

He didn't answer at first, just placing his books back in the same sequence she first discovered them in.

" They are...reminders." He said softly, moving from the bookshelf to his messy futon.

"Reminders?" She queried lifting his small table back onto its feet as he fixed his bed.

He nodded, rustling the futon back into its original position.

" Of?"

He stopped completely, looking back to where the objects lay "...Of what use to be."

Misao took a seat next him on her knees, " What do you mean?"

He finished fiddling with the bed and stood, " The past, it helps me remember how everyone was."

Misao blinked. Huh?

Aoshi sheathed his kodachi, and placed it on top of his futon. The room was just as he had left it.

He then tracked to the other side of the room and reached into drawer of his dresser. He pulled out a box and sat himself across from the girl. He handed Misao the box, in a gesture for her to open it.

She did so, reaching in, and pulling out letter after letter. The names on them were not familiar. She dug deeper to find one addressed from Haanya to himself. She found another addressed from him to Okina. She read it.

It asked how she was doing...If she were well, if she were happy. She choked up, this is from when he was working odd jobs...after he had left. She checked the date. It apparently was never mailed.

Her eyes burned from the intense, unknown sensation. She couldn't readily identify what it exactly was, but it held some semblance of hope.

He did worry of her when he left, he did think of her, she wasn't forgotten...

"It, also, helps me remember who I was. Who I used to be." Aoshi turned his head toward the window. He sounded so...somber.

Her vision blurred, as tears threaten to break loose from the barriers beneath her lashes. What should she do...

It hit like a sharp smack across the face. She jumped to her feet and went back toward the bookcase. She reached to the top and pulled down the letter she had written him so long ago. She returned and sat by his side.

"Here! I know what will lighten you up!" She sang to him, following his eyes outside the glass to the bleached earth. She put out her hand.

He shifted his gaze, instead focusing on the outstretched letter. He took it.

" Now, I want you to read this. Or.." She spat playfully, smiling impishly.

He opened the letter, " Or?"

" Don't you remember? I'll tickle you till you fall to the floor laughing and are begging me to stop! Your face will turn red!" The girl giggled ecstatically to herself, putting her hands out in warning of the upcoming tickle.

He blinked at her and smiled a tad.

" I don't think it will come to that."

AN- Somehow, my fics always have Misao mad at Okina in some way. Annoyance perhaps? I dunno. Usually like that in everyone's fics. Same with faceplants, they always seem to happen. Hope you enjoyed! Still, it feels like a loose-end ending...rather overall loose.


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